It was Saturday morning, Eastern Standard Time, when I saw the first Facebook post concerning the terrorist attack at a mall in Nairobi, Kenya. Shortly thereafter my daughter called to ask me to pray for one of her schoolmates and his father. Both were trapped inside the Westgate Mall while terrorists killed those who could not prove they were Muslims. Then I read of another missionary mother and her children who were hiding in the mall. THANKFULLY both families made it out alive. However, that cannot be said for the 60+ people who died, and the hundreds that have been wounded.
We were not in Africa when this took place, but this mall is a place we have shopped at during our trips to visit our daughter who attends school an hour outside of Nairobi. This is the mall we took our nephew Steve to last December. It is where we spent some time in July, just prior to our return to the States for our furlough ministry. We ate outside at the Art Cafe that was shown many times on the news. We shopped in the Nakumatt where many hid from the terrorists. Therefore, it really hit home to watch this on TV and know that it could easily have been us at that mall. It could have easily been us being gunned down for our faith in Christ.
As we mourn for Kenya, we also rejoice to hear reports of Kenyans joining together to help and support one another. Their response lives up to Kenya's national motto "Harambee!" - which means, "Let's pull together!"
